Pedestrian Fatalities Have Increased

April 15, 2019

Pedestrian Accident Attorney

Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) found that the number of estimated pedestrian deaths in 2018 reached a 28 year high. You have to go back all the way to 1990 to find a higher pedestrian death total.

A report by GHSA found that 6,667 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2018, a four percent increase over 2017. Progress has been made to reduce traffic fatalities as a whole over the last decade, but pedestrian deaths have risen 35 percent. Vehicles have become safer, but pedestrians don’t have the same armor to protect them. This alarming statistic has state and local officials looking for solutions to reverse the trend in pedestrian deaths.

Several contributing factors have been identified, including the increased use of SUVs and trucks, because of their size and weight they are more likely to injure or kill a pedestrian. Passenger cars still account for the majority of pedestrian deaths, but SUVs generally cause more serious pedestrian injuries, and are growing as a percentage of registered vehicles.

Unsafe driving behaviors like speeding, drowsy or distracted driving, use of phones are also to blame. Five times the number of smartphones were in use in 2018 compared to 2009.

Alcohol use continues to be a problem. Half the crashes that ended in pedestrian fatalities in 2017 included either a driver or pedestrian who were impaired by alcohol.

Population growth also means that more people are on the street. The 10 states with the highest population growth from 2017 to 2018 had an overall 5 percent increase in the number of pedestrian fatalities. High speed, high volume roads, sprawl, and pedestrians are not a safe combination.

The GHSA reports that a majority of pedestrian deaths happen after dark, and those numbers are rising. From 2008 to 2017 the number of nighttime pedestrian fatalities increased by 45 percent, compared to a much smaller 11 percent increase in daytime pedestrian deaths.

Officials believe there are a range of law enforcement, infrastructure, engineering and education that can reduce pedestrian deaths. In New York City, there are efforts to redesign particularly dangerous streets, reduce speed limits and give pedestrians a head start when crossing at intersections.

The Pedestrian Danger Index ranks the most dangerous cities for pedestrians per capita. Florida cities had 8 cities place in the top ten. In response to their high pedestrian fatality rate, the state of Florida has invested $100 million to improve lighting in approximately 2,500 locations throughout the state to make it easier to see pedestrians crossing the street at night. Technology can also help, in 2018, Subaru’s collision- avoidance system, EyeSight, led to a 35 percent reduction in pedestrian-related insurance claims.